Texas Border Business
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – The Brownsville Community Improvement Corporation (BCIC) has announced a new cohort of the eBridge Business Academy running August 11 through September 1, 2026. Sessions meet Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. at the eBridge Center for Business and Commercialization, 1304 E. Adams St., in Historic Downtown Brownsville. The program is offered in both Spanish and English.
The eBridge Business Academy (formerly the Blueprint Business Program) is a free, cohort-based entrepreneurship program based on the nationally recognized Kauffman FastTrac curriculum. It is sponsored by BCIC and delivered through its partnership with the UTRGV Entrepreneurship and Commercialization Center (ECC). Across the cohort, participants work through business concept development, customer discovery, market positioning, financial fundamentals, and launch preparation.
The Academy has produced more than 350 graduates to date, including the founders behind Brownsville mainstays such as Warbler Coffee, Búho Bookstore, Main Street Deli, and La Pale.
No registered business or finished business plan is required to apply. Participants are selected based on the clarity of their idea, their readiness, and their commitment to attend every session in person.
Applications for the August 11 cohort are open now at www.ebridgebusinessacademy.com.
A follow-up cohort is also scheduled for September 8 through September 29, 2026, meeting Tuesdays and Thursdays from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., offered in Spanish and English.
